Diss Aldi store gains approval for car park plans

Diss, Norfolk. Former Co-Op food Store which has closed ANL-140325-155131001

South Norfolk Council has approved Aldi’s planning application to reduce the number of car parking spaces at their forthcoming store in Mere Street, despite being recommended for refusal by Diss Town Council last month.

The approval report states that the discount supermarket’s plans are allowed to go ahead on the condition that the car park is made available for use before the store officially opens for commercial trading, so as to keep the flow of nearby traffic at a steady level.

The alterations to the car park would increase the overall size of individual parking spaces and add both cyclist, and parent and child spaces, at the reduction in capacity from 90 to 70 spaces.

This follows an earlier application submitted by Aldi to add a 42-square-metre extension to the store and introduce a new delivery and loading bay, which was also approved.

Both of these developments will arrive ahead of the anticipated winter opening date for the new store, which entered the Diss commercial sphere after the grocer took over the site of a former Co-Op in March.

In April, Diss Town Council’s planning committee expressed concerns that these amendments would result in decreased parking options for local drivers and contribute to congestion problems on the A1066.